Idea: DF-esque (semi-)randomly generated characteristics

@Snaaty
I can’t take offense if we’re all enjoying the same (computer) game.
You’ve noticed, and you’re right to state so in your reply, that I haven’t included a quote field; that’s why you hadn’t been able to follow my post. The thing is - when you ommit the quotes, it is understandable that you’re staying on topic or you’re replying to the OP directly.

This Cataclysm_DDA game of ours is changing at a fair ammount of pace, as devs implement more interesting and even more complicated features. Great many of those are concerned solely with the playing character (PC). So, if I write that ‘you’ve got a profession prior to cataclysm’ - it means that your skills and abilities shape your profession, which describes your character. As far as I know, professions followed by scenarios were amongst the three most-wanted, key features; along with (working) NPCs and some effective Z-levels.

As you might of, or might’ve never suspected - an internet connection may be ‘cancelled’. This is why the second visible line of my post ends with a comma (,) - rather than a dot, like the one this one has.

To sum up, I don’t agree that DF is exactly the on-spot solution when, and if, you’re thinking about “personalizing” your character a bit more. For example, DwFo features a lot of physical characteristics descriptions and offers a lot of in-depth detail about the PC, the monsters and the world @whole. I think you understood the concept if you’ve played that game, and you can perhaps agree that my observation concerning generic content was appropriate. If a game dwells on a medieval-fantasy setting, the sole concept yields a lot of pregenerated content, yet easily expanded and categorized.

Working on, designing, developing, enjoying, playing and discussing Cataclysm is another deal. I can firmly state that CataDDA is a roguelike with a high challenge overhead, and because it features no dungeon levels (nor leveling at all) your character’s primary concern is to survive the cataclysm aftermath. This means you’re not able to search the internet forums and find an effective guide to it; unlike other RLs and RPGs, whereas you may find many, many Avengers of Yendor out there - and extend on the enjoyment of your fantasy, much like with DF. Sure, there is a solid cluster of ideas forming around DDA itself, but you’re unable to explain them unless you’ve experienced scarce food sources, mutation complexity, gameplay shift with the choice of profession, expanded vehicle detail, recipe-o-rama and so on.

These quasi-explanations, or notifications if you wish, are only found within the game and sometimes, just sometimes on this forum board. This is mainly due to the reality aspect of the game; you’re supposed to have some sort of general knowledge about the makings of this world, its denizens and what makes them tick. It’s the only way to understand the majority of the sights, items, crafts and actions. You cannot just “glide in the fantasy setting” and enjoy your pseudo-ego, your heroic avatar, your little-monster-you. Common beasts, demons and constructs are either cultural heritage, or had been made to look as such a long, long time ago - and they’ve been described, pretty schollarly too. See, this is what you really can’t apply to Cataclysm, and by no means with such certainty like when dealing with ogres or yuks. The lore-wise aspects of CataDDA are to be introduced, experimented with before applying to mainline, and then explained; if such an opportunity occurs.

At the very end, I must rebound off those witty, yet generic descriptions once more, and mention the way they’re displayed in DF. It seems different and interesting, lively and invigorating when something that silly appears on your screen, and even more if it concerns your character. The Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead is meant to be fun too, no doubt about that. It’s a different breed of roguelike, when you need to smash a car to make a screwdriver and repair something; you’re not a merry dwarf builder, with a yellow beard from years of smooching ale. You can invite as many zombies as you wish on the spike-rigged bumper of your speedster; but you cannot stir up a pot with an elven leg.

When I read this topic, I see a player who’s curious about both DF and CataDDA, each of them being developed upon open-source. It is only natural to imply a(n) (ex)change of ideas, yet I have an opinion that’s more on the “not really possible” side. Imagine having an explanation stating that your character is “The Pastry Salter, the Great Cookie Monster of Boston” and a .50 caliber sniper rifle in your hand. Well, what’s more exalting? And – what’s more wacky?